REPATHA® NOW INDICATED FOR ADULTS AT INCREASED RISK FOR MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS DUE TO UNCONTROLLED LDL-C

Rhea-AI Summary

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) has received FDA approval for expanded use of Repatha® (evolocumab) to include adults at increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) due to uncontrolled LDL-C. This significant label update removes the previous requirement for patients to have diagnosed cardiovascular disease.

The FDA has also approved Repatha as a monotherapy for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and emphasized its use alongside diet and exercise for managing high cholesterol. Since its initial approval in 2015, Repatha has been used by over 5 million people globally.

Positive

• FDA approval for expanded patient population removes cardiovascular disease diagnosis requirement
• New approval for Repatha as monotherapy for HoFH patients
• Large established user base of over 5 million patients worldwide since 2015

Negative

• None.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Aug. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has broadened the approved use of Repatha^® (evolocumab) to include adults at increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) due to uncontrolled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), commonly known as 'bad cholesterol.' The update removes a prior requirement for a patient to have been diagnosed with cardiovascular (CV) disease.

"Far too many adults at risk of cardiovascular disease are not achieving their LDL-C goals, despite it being one of the most modifiable risk factors for a heart attack or stroke," said Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of Global Commercial Operations at Amgen. "This label update highlights the real-world need for additional treatment options for at-risk patients. Repatha is an effective therapy for reducing LDL-C, particularly in patients whose disease remains uncontrolled with statins or who cannot tolerate them."

In addition to expanding Repatha's label to include adults at increased risk of MACE, the FDA also:

• expanded the use of Repatha alone (monotherapy) to include patients with a rare, genetic form of high cholesterol known as homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH); and
• emphasized that Repatha should be used alongside diet and exercise for managing high cholesterol.

Repatha was first approved in 2015 and has been used by more than 5 million people worldwide.

About Repatha^® (evolocumab)
Repatha is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). Repatha binds to PCSK9 and inhibits circulating PCSK9 from binding to the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), preventing PCSK9-mediated LDLR degradation and permitting LDLR to recycle back to the liver cell surface. By inhibiting the binding of PCSK9 to LDLR, Repatha increases the number of LDLRs available to clear LDL from the blood, thereby lowering LDL-C levels. The clinical benefits and safety of Repatha have been studied for 15 years in 50 clinical trials with over 57,000 patients.

Repatha is approved in more than 74 countries, including the U.S., Japan, Canada and in all 28 countries that are members of the European Union. Applications in other countries are pending.

Important U.S. Safety Information 

INDICATIONS
Repatha is a PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitor indicated:

• To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (CV death, myocardial infarction, stroke, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, or coronary revascularization) in adults at increased risk for these events.
• As an adjunct to diet and exercise to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in:
  • adults with hypercholesterolemia.
  • adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).
  • adults and pediatric patients aged 10 years and older with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH).

The safety and effectiveness of Repatha® have not been established in pediatric patients with HeFH or HoFH who are younger than 10 years old or in pediatric patients with other types of hyperlipidemia. For full prescribing information, visit www.Repatha.com.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 

• Contraindication: Repatha^® is contraindicated in patients with a history of a serious hypersensitivity reaction to evolocumab or any of the excipients in Repatha®. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including angioedema have occurred in patients treated with Repatha®.
  
  
• Hypersensitivity Reactions: Hypersensitivity reactions, including angioedema, have been reported in patients treated with Repatha^®. If signs or symptoms of serious hypersensitivity reactions occur, discontinue treatment with Repatha®, treat according to the standard of care, and monitor until signs and symptoms resolve.
  
  
• Adverse Reactions in Adults with Primary Hyperlipidemia: The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha^® and more frequently than placebo) were: nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, back pain, and injection site reactions.
  
  From a pool of the 52-week trial and seven 12-week trials: Local injection site reactions occurred in 3.2% and 3.0% of Repatha^®-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common injection site reactions were erythema, pain, and bruising. Hypersensitivity reactions occurred in 5.1% and 4.7% of Repatha®-treated and placebo-treated patients, respectively. The most common hypersensitivity reactions were rash (1.0% versus 0.5% for Repatha^® and placebo, respectively), eczema (0.4% versus 0.2%), erythema (0.4% versus 0.2%), and urticaria (0.4% versus 0.1%). 

• Adverse Reactions in the Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial: The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha^® and more frequently than placebo) were: diabetes mellitus (8.8% Repatha^®, 8.2% placebo), nasopharyngitis (7.8% Repatha®, 7.4% placebo), and upper respiratory tract infection (5.1% Repatha®, 4.8% placebo).
  
  Among the 16,676 patients without diabetes mellitus at baseline, the incidence of new-onset diabetes mellitus during the trial was 8.1% in patients treated with Repatha® compared with 7.7% in patients that received placebo. 

• Adverse Reactions in Pediatric Patients with HeFH: The most common adverse reactions (>5% of patients treated with Repatha® and more frequently than placebo) were: nasopharyngitis, headache, oropharyngeal pain, influenza, and upper respiratory tract infection.
  
  
• Adverse Reactions in Adults and Pediatric Patients with HoFH: In a 12-week study in 49 patients, the adverse reactions that occurred in at least two patients treated with Repatha^® and more frequently than placebo were: upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, gastroenteritis, and nasopharyngitis. In an open-label extension study in 106 patients, including 14 pediatric patients, no new adverse reactions were observed.
  
  
• Immunogenicity: Repatha^® is a human monoclonal antibody. As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for immunogenicity with Repatha®.

Please see full Prescribing Information. 

About Amgen 
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases.

In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions. Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average^®, and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index^®, which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization.

For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow Amgen on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Threads. 

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeOne Medicines Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla^® (apremilast), our acquisitions of ChemoCentryx, Inc. or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, and any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for us to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and we expect similar variability in the future. Even when clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may question the sufficiency for approval of the trial endpoints we have selected. We develop product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as we may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, we or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market.

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CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Elissa Snook, 609-251-1407 (media)
Adam Elinoff, 805-490-9578 (investors) 

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SOURCE Amgen

FAQ

What is the new FDA approval for Amgen's Repatha (NASDAQ:AMGN)?

The FDA has expanded Repatha's approval to include adults at increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) due to uncontrolled LDL-C, without requiring prior cardiovascular disease diagnosis.

How many patients have used Repatha since its initial FDA approval?

Since its first approval in 2015, more than 5 million people worldwide have used Repatha.

What are the new treatment indications for Repatha in 2025?

Repatha is now approved for adults with uncontrolled LDL-C at risk of MACE, as a monotherapy for HoFH patients, and should be used with diet and exercise for managing high cholesterol.

Can Repatha be used as a standalone treatment for HoFH patients?

Yes, the FDA has approved Repatha as a monotherapy for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), a rare genetic form of high cholesterol.

What are the requirements for Repatha treatment after the 2025 FDA update?

Patients no longer need a prior cardiovascular disease diagnosis to receive Repatha. The treatment should be used in combination with diet and exercise for managing high cholesterol.